Obama, Boehner: How About Golf Bonding?

Don’t expect President Barack Obama and Rep. John Boehner, the expected House speaker, to hash out policy compromises on the golf course.

Both are frequent golfers. But as Golf Digest points out, their skill levels aren’t quite on par. The magazine ranked Mr. Boehner, an avid golfer who has held fund-raisers at prestigious courses, the 36th best player on the Hill in 2008, giving him a handicap of 6.3.

The commander in chief, on the other hand, is relatively new to the game. As of last November, he was said to have a handicap in the mid-20s. The White House’s best shot at bipartisanship perhaps comes from Vice President Joe Biden, who was tied for 48th on Golf Digest’s 2008 list with a handicap of 8.4.

As Mr. Boehner told the publication in 2005, “”If someone I’ve gotten to know on the golf course comes into my office with a good argument, I tend to want to listen.”